Vegan, Gluten Free Coconut Cake

When I was asked to make a birthday cake for a Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free and Nut-Free birthday girl, I was up for the challenge! It can be tricky to find the right consistency in these situations and often times the cakes turn out more dense. It took some trial and error, but the recipe below will not disappoint!

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups (180 grams) Oats (blended into fine powder)

3/4 cup (115 grams) White Rice Flour

1 cup (90 grams) Shredded Coconut

1/2 cup (60 grams) Coconut Flour

1 cup (150 grams) Coconut sugar (or Raw Cane Sugar/sugar substitute)

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

Wet ingredients:

2/3 cup (160 grams) Apple Sauce

1 1/3 cup (320 ml) Full Fat Coconut milk

1/3 cup (70 grams) Coconut Oil (melted)

1/3 cup (115 grams) Agave Syrup or Maple Syrup

1 tbsp White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Flax Egg

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tbsp Lemon juice

Zest of 1 Lemon

Icing:

2 (340 grams) Japanese Sweet Potatoes or Yams

1/4 cup (85 grams) Coconut cream

2/3 cup (160 grams) vegan butter (or coconut butter)

1/4 cup (60 ml) Full fat Coconut milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup (150 grams) Agave Syrup or Maple Syrup

Shredded coconut for decoration

Fresh Blueberries, Strawberries and/or Blackberries for decoration

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F and bake yams for 45 minutes or until a fork glides through the center. When yams are finished, dispose of the skin, set aside, and lower the oven temperature to 375 F.

While the yams cook, grease 2 9 inch round cake pans and prepare the batter.

Combine oat flour, rice flour, coconut flour, shredded coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Combine apple sauce, coconut milk, agave, vanilla, vinegar, and lemon juice/zest.

Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients (careful not to over-mix, batter may be lumpy which is okay).

Pour batter into cake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, beat cooked yams, coconut cream, butter, coconut milk, vanilla and agave until smooth.

Once cake has come to room temperature, frost and top with fresh fruit/shredded coconut.